Airbag assembly for child-restraint system

Abstract

A vehicle includes a vehicle seat having a seatback and a seat bottom defining an occupant-seating area. The vehicle includes an airbag housing having a first arm fixed to the seatback and a second arm rotatable from the seatback toward the seat bottom adjacent the occupant-seating area. An airbag extends from the first arm to the second arm. The airbag is fixed to the first arm and the second arm. The vehicle includes a computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to detect a removeable child-restraint system (CRS) on the occupant-seating area, and based on the detection of the removeable CRS on the occupant-seating area, inflate the airbag in response to detection of certain vehicle impacts.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A vehicle comprising:
 a vehicle seat having a seatback and a seat bottom defining an occupant-seating area; 
 an airbag housing having a first arm fixed to the seatback and a second arm rotatable from the seatback toward the seat bottom adjacent the occupant-seating area; 
 an airbag extending from the first arm to the second arm, the airbag being fixed to the first arm and the second arm; and 
 a computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
 detect a removeable child-restraint system on the occupant-seating area; 
 based on the detection of the removeable child-restraint system on the occupant-seating area, inflate the airbag in response to detection of certain vehicle impacts; and 
 maintain the airbag in an uninflated position based on detection of an adult occupant in the occupant-seating area in response to detection of certain vehicle impacts. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a second airbag housing spaced from the airbag housing, the occupant-seating area being between the airbag housing and the second airbag housing; 
 the second airbag housing having a first arm fixed to the seatback and a second arm rotatable from the seatback toward the seat bottom; 
 a second airbag extending from the first arm of the second airbag housing to the second arm of the second airbag housing, the second airbag being fixed to the first arm of the second airbag housing and the second arm of the second airbag housing; and 
 the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to: 
 based on detection of the removeable child-restraint system on the occupant-seating area, inflate the second airbag in response to detection of certain vehicle impacts. 
 
     
     
       3. The vehicle of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a third airbag housing spaced from the second airbag housing, the vehicle seat defining a second occupant-seating area between the second airbag housing and the third airbag housing; 
 the second airbag housing being between the occupant-seating area and the second occupant-seating area; 
 the third airbag housing having a first arm fixed to the seatback and a second arm rotatable from the seatback toward the seat bottom; 
 a third airbag extending from the first arm of the second airbag housing to the second arm of the third airbag housing, the third airbag being fixed to the first arm of the third airbag housing and the second arm of the third airbag housing; and 
 the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to: 
 based on the detection of the removeable child-restraint system on the second occupant-seating area, inflate the second airbag and the third airbag in response to detection of certain vehicle impacts. 
 
     
     
       4. The vehicle of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a fourth airbag housing spaced from the third airbag housing, the vehicle seat defining a third occupant-seating area between the third airbag housing and the fourth airbag housing; 
 the third airbag housing being between the second occupant-seating area and the third occupant-seating area; 
 the fourth airbag housing having a first arm fixed to the seatback and a second arm rotatable from the seatback toward the seat bottom; 
 a fourth airbag extending from the first arm of the fourth airbag housing to the second arm of the fourth airbag housing, the fourth airbag being fixed to the first arm of the fourth airbag housing and the second arm of the fourth airbag housing; and 
 the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to: 
 based on the detection of the removeable child-restraint system on the third occupant-seating area, inflate the third airbag and the fourth airbag in response to detection of certain vehicle impacts. 
 
     
     
       5. The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the airbag is inflatable from the uninflated position to an inflated position, the airbag rotating the second arm toward the seat bottom from the uninflated position to the inflated position. 
     
     
       6. The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the second arm extends along the first arm in an undeployed position, and the second arm extends transverse the first arm in a deployed position. 
     
     
       7. The vehicle of  claim 1 , wherein the vehicle seat includes a bracket on the seat bottom, the second arm is engaged with the bracket when the second arm is in a deployed position. 
     
     
       8. The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of external tethers extending from the first arm to the second arm when the airbag is inflated in an inflated position. 
     
     
       9. The vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the external tethers are attached to the first arm, the second arm, and the airbag, the external tethers are under tension between the first arm and second arm when the airbag is in the inflated position. 
     
     
       10. The vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the external tethers are a reaction surface for the airbag in the inflated position. 
     
     
       11. The vehicle of  claim 8 , wherein the external tethers are uninflatable. 
     
     
       12. The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising an inflator in fluid communication with the airbag, the inflator is fixed to the airbag housing. 
     
     
       13. The vehicle of  claim 1 , further comprising a hinge between the first arm and the second arm. 
     
     
       14. The vehicle of  claim 13 , wherein the hinge is a locking hinge. 
     
     
       15. A vehicle comprising:
 a vehicle seat having a seatback and a seat bottom defining an occupant-seating area; 
 an airbag housing having a first arm fixed to the seatback and a second arm rotatable from the seatback toward the seat bottom adjacent the occupant-seating area; 
 an airbag extending from the first arm to the second arm, the airbag being fixed to the first arm and the second arm; and 
 a second airbag housing spaced from the airbag housing, the occupant-seating area being between the airbag housing and the second airbag housing; 
 the second airbag housing having a first arm fixed to the seatback and a second arm rotatable from the seatback toward the seat bottom; 
 a second airbag extending from the first arm of the second airbag housing to the second arm of the second airbag housing, the second airbag being fixed to the first arm of the second airbag housing and the second arm of the second airbag housing; and 
 a computer including a processor and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor to:
 detect a removeable child-restraint system on the occupant-seating area; 
 based on the detection of the removeable child-restraint system on the occupant-seating area, inflate the airbag in response to detection of certain vehicle impacts; and 
 based on detection of the removeable child-restraint system on the occupant-seating area, inflate the second airbag in response to detection of certain vehicle impacts. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The vehicle of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a third airbag housing spaced from the second airbag housing, the vehicle seat defining a second occupant-seating area between the second airbag housing and the third airbag housing; 
 the second airbag housing being between the occupant-seating area and the second occupant-seating area; 
 the third airbag housing having a first arm fixed to the seatback and a second arm rotatable from the seatback toward the seat bottom; 
 a third airbag extending from the first arm of the second airbag housing to the second arm of the third airbag housing, the third airbag being fixed to the first arm of the third airbag housing and the second arm of the third airbag housing; and 
 the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to: 
 based on the detection of the removeable child-restraint system on the second occupant-seating area, inflate the second airbag and the third airbag in response to detection of certain vehicle impacts. 
 
     
     
       17. The vehicle of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a fourth airbag housing spaced from the third airbag housing, the vehicle seat defining a third occupant-seating area between the third airbag housing and the fourth airbag housing; 
 the third airbag housing being between the second occupant-seating area and the third occupant-seating area; 
 the fourth airbag housing having a first arm fixed to the seatback and a second arm rotatable from the seatback toward the seat bottom; 
 a fourth airbag extending from the first arm of the fourth airbag housing to the second arm of the fourth airbag housing, the fourth airbag being fixed to the first arm of the fourth airbag housing and the second arm of the fourth airbag housing; and 
 the memory storing instructions executable by the processor to: 
 based on the detection of the removeable child-restraint system on the third occupant-seating area, inflate the third airbag and the fourth airbag in response to detection of certain vehicle impacts. 
 
     
     
       18. The vehicle of  claim 15 , wherein the airbag is inflatable from an uninflated position to an inflated position, the airbag rotating the second arm toward the seat bottom from the uninflated position to the inflated position. 
     
     
       19. The vehicle of  claim 15 , wherein the second arm extends along the first arm in an undeployed position, and the second arm extends transverse the first arm in a deployed position. 
     
     
       20. The vehicle of  claim 15 , wherein the vehicle seat includes a bracket on the seat bottom, the second arm is engaged with the bracket when the second arm is in a deployed position.